Climax for the Environment

Greener motoring doesn’t usually mean high-performance, but bio-ethanol powered sports cars like the Lotus Exige 265E and Aston Martin’s Vantage GT2 have shown that the two terms aren’t always mutually exclusive. Now another British company is joining the ranks with the Climax mid-engine open-top two seater. Drawing inspiration from the Cooper Climax F1 car and Le Mans type race cars of the 50’s, the Climax features flip up aero-screens and a hard retractable tonneau along with detachable F1 style steering wheel (complete with optional carbon fiber carry case). So it may not be the ideal weapon of choice for a weekend getaway with the family, but there is some well-hidden storage space if you do need to throw in an overnight bag. The chassis is constructed from lightweight aluminum castings and extrusions with bolt on sub frames designed to make it versatile and easy to repair. The bodywork is handcrafted out of aluminum and will also be offered in Carbon fiber, while the latest generation Subaru power train is used to drive the rear wheels. The horizontally opposed Prodrive Boxer 4 cylinder engine, which is also able to run on unleaded petrol, will propel the car from 0-60mph (0-100kmh) in under four seconds and give it a top speed of 170mph (274 kmh). Torque is rated in the provisional specs at 407Nm @4000rpm and combined fuel consumption is 24.7 l/100km and the high-performance suspension enables height and damping adjustments. Customers will also be able to choose engine and gearbox options, color, interior and “jewelry” options. Concept Climax plans to produce a run of only 100 cars which will carry a price of €100,000 (approx. $135,000) each.